Plant pests and diseases significantly decrease the quality and safety of agricultural products. In particular, insect pest control is essential for agricultural production. Insect pests cause an annual loss in food and fiber crops estimated at around $33 billion in the US alone. Yearly costs of pesticide use in the US amount to around $13 billion and yearly costs worldwide amount to around $40 billion. Despite the use of pesticides and various biological and non-chemical control measures, insect pests cause crop losses accounting for 14-15% of total production, worth over $100 billion worldwide.
One of the most destructive pests affecting soybeans worldwide is the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), which can cause more than 30% of yield loss in heavily infested fields. The annual yield losses in the US alone are about $1.5 billion.
The present invention addresses previous shortcomings in the art by providing methods and compositions to for making and using plants with enhanced resistance to pests and diseases.